The invention relates generally to a medical cushion and more particularly to an inflatable U-shaped cushion to support a patient""s legs and abdomen to eliminate pressure on the patient""s tail bone and to provide for ventilation (i.e., fresh air flow) to the tail bone.
Bed sores, ulcers, or blisters commonly exist near the tail bone of patients who are temporarily disabled and confined to a wheel chair or a hospital bed for long periods of time. Frequently, patients who are disabled or injured require medication to be applied to such injuries. Commonly, when medication is applied to a patient""s bedsores, ulcers, or blisters ventilation (i.e., fresh air flow) of the injured area is desirable to facilitate healing of the damaged tissue. When a patient is disabled, the posterior region lies against the bed or chair seat for long periods of time so that ventilation is inhibited. To facilitate healing of the sores a method of supporting a patient""s body is required so that the tail bone region is exposed to fresh air to adequately ventilate the injured area.
To reduce pain and suffering of the patient, a method of supporting a patient""s body must distribute pressure around and away from the patient""s injured area so that a patient""s weight is distributed over more than a few points of contact of the cushion with the body. The existence of a single concentrated pressure point causes pain and irritation around an injured area because of the concentration of force on a small surface area of the body. The presence of singular or minimal pressure points can lead to break downs of skin tissue that inhibits a patient""s recovery by increasing the likelihood of additional bed sores and the potential for infection.
As a result of inadequate support to the patient""s body surrounding the ulcer, existing cushions do not fully relieve pressure from the patient""s tail bone to facilitate healing and have not been designed to provide for ventilation (i.e., fresh air flow) to the tail bone. Existing cushions do not adequately alleviate the occurrence of pressure points to a patient""s body surrounding a sensitive injured area. Also, existing cushions do not provide multiple chambers that allow a patient to selectively adjust the air pressure to eliminate concentrated pressure points or to distribute pressure to different areas of the cushion. The selective adjustment of air pressure in different areas of the cushion allows a patient to adjust the firmness or softness of a specific section of the cushion to correspond to the desired firmness or softness of the corresponding area of the patient""s body. The selective adjustment of air pressure in different regions facilitates healing of an injured area by preventing the creation of various pressure points on the sensitive areas of the body surrounding an injured area.
A further problem inherent in existing designs is the attachment mechanism for attaching the cushion to the patient. It is imperative that the cushion be securely attached to the patient""s body in order to prevent the cushion from moving and causing further irritation of the inflamed area. Various existing cushions are designed to fit in a patient""s trousers, but these cushions lack a mechanism to prevent the cushion from moving in relation to the patient""s body. The geometric shapes of other cushions prevent comfortable use by patients who are not ambulatory.
Among the several objects and features of the present invention may be noted the provision of an inflatable bladder which fully relieves pressure from a patient""s tail bone area; the provision of such an inflatable bladder which provides an improved pressure distribution over the area of the bladder in contact with the patient; the provision of such an inflatable bladder which provides adequate ventilation (i.e., fresh air flow) to facilitate healing; the provision of such an inflatable bladder that is secured to a patient to prevent movement of the bladder in relation to the patient, and the provision of such inflatable bladder which allows selective variance of air pressure throughout the bladder.
Generally, the inflatable bladder of the present invention comprises at least one rear chamber to receive and maintain a first charge of fluid within the rear chamber. At least one front chamber for supporting the legs of the person has two support legs spaced apart from each other to form a channel between the support legs. The channel is sized and shaped for placement beneath a portion of the person""s body to relieve pressure on that portion. The front chamber is adapted to receive and maintain a second charge of fluid within the front chamber.
In another aspect of the present invention, the inflatable bladder of the present invention generally comprises at least one chamber adapted to receive and maintain a charge of fluid. The chamber is sized and shaped to form a channel for placement beneath a portion of the body to relieve pressure on the portion. A padded cushion is adapted for attachment to the bladder for placement between the bladder and the person to provide further cushioning to the person. At least one strap is attachable to the cushion for attaching the bladder to the person.
In yet another aspect of the present invention, a method for elevating and supporting the coccyx of a patient to relieve pressure and reduce pain and irritation is provided. The method generally comprises placing an inflatable bladder underneath the patient. The bladder is attached to the patient by wrapping straps attachable to the bladder around the patient and securing the straps and bladder to the patient. The air pressure within the bladder is selectively adjusted to support the patient without placing undue pressure upon a particular portion of the patient""s body. Other objects and features of the present invention will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.